PROLIFIC AND OTHER DWARF OATS 



Dominant Dwarfness Observed in Two Oat Crosses 



T. R. Stanton 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, D. C. 



DWARF OATS DOMINANT TO NORMAL 



Figure 4. Progeny rows grown at Aberdeen, Idaho, in 1922 from eight proHfic dwarf 

 plants found in 1921 in a nursery row of the Aurora X Pringle Progress cross. Note the 

 two normal tall plants in the fifth row from left. The dwarfs appeared in the sixth hybrid 

 generation of the cross. It is possible that the two tall plants may have resulted from 

 accidental admixture of seed. Further genetic studies of them and of the dwarfs would 

 be necessary to determine this. If the tall plants prove to be the result of segregation it will 

 mean that the dwarf character is dominant, which is exactly the reverse of what has been 

 observed in other crosses with oats. 



IN a nursery row of oats grown at 

 the Aljerdeen Substation, Aber- 

 deen, Idaho, in 1921, eight plants 

 of an early, ])rolific dwarf oat ap- 

 peared. The plants in this row were 

 grown from a selection of a cross be- 

 tween the Aurora and Pringle Progress 

 varieties. This cross was made by 

 the writer in the greenhouse at Arling- 

 ton Experimental Farm, Rosslyn, Va., 

 in the spring of 191 6. Only one cross- 

 bred seed was obtained. This was 

 sown in the greenhouse in the fall of 

 1 91 6. and produced a vigorous plant. 

 Seed from this i)lant was sown in a 



five-foot row at Aberdeen in the spring 

 of 1 91 7 and produced nineteen second 

 generation plants. These were harvest- 

 ed individually and sent to Washington 

 by C. W. Warburton, then agronomist 

 in charge of oat investigations. In 

 the spring of 191 8 seed from each 

 second generation plant was sown at 

 Aberdeen in individual five- foot rows, 

 producing at harvest approximately 500 

 third generation plants. Of the nine- 

 teen progenies nine were considei"ed 

 as being homozygous, and were har- 

 vested in bulk Among these nine, 

 No. 1019 ai-i2B was included, in which 



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